Reluctant Heroes
by Mintelle
Summary: Hermione is struggling to keep herself together as she returns to Hogwarts for a one-off eighth year. When those she's closest to turn their backs on her, she finds comfort and friendship in the most unexpected places. The protectiveness of her new friends is certainly rather shocking, but nowhere near as much as the sudden romance blossoming between her and a blonde haired wizard.
1. Chapter 1

**RELUCTANT HEROES**

**Chapter One**

**Summary: **Hermione is struggling to keep herself together as she returns to Hogwarts for a one-off eighth year. When those she's closest to turn their backs on her, she finds comfort and friendship in the most unexpected places. The protectiveness of her new friends is certainly rather shocking, but nowhere near as much as the sudden romance blossoming between her and a blonde haired wizard.

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ! **This fiction, and more specifically Hermione's experiences throughout, take a lot of inspiration from my own experiences with anxiety, depression, suicide attempts and PTSD. There will be a lot of sensitive themes throughout this story, ranging from mild to explicit. So, I give you fair warning: proceed with caution.

**Pairings/Ships: **Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger | Mention of Others

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, or make a claim to, Harry Potter or any related material. The only thing I own is the premise of this story, and I do not intend to make profit from it.  
**  
Warning: **Dark and sensitive themes throughout, sexual content and strong language.

**.**

**o.O.o**

**.**

Despite being surrounded by friends, she'd never felt more alone. War changed people, some for the better, and others for the worst. Hermione was still debating on which side of that fence she was standing on. As she sat on the steps leading up to the Astronomy tower, hyperventilating, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd be in this situation if she'd not come back to Hogwarts, if it might have been better just to stay home and let herself heal.

Her year group had been invited back to Hogwarts for a one-off eighth year to allow them to finish their education, which Hermione had instantly accepted. Harry and Ron declined, opting to pursue a career in the Ministry as trainee Aurors. Of course, she'd tried to change their minds and convince them to come back with her, but they weren't having any of it. She wasn't too upset with them, she still had plenty of other friends she could spend time with during the school year, it would just be strange without Harry and Ron. They were her best friends after all, but it was probably best to put some distance between her and Ron. While they'd ended their relationship mutually, it was still hard to process.

Both were convinced it had been the heat of the moment, the war and fear of dying that pushed them together. When it came down to it, in terms of compatibility, they just weren't a good match. It was as simple as that. Regardless, they'd managed to remain good friends, but things were never going to be the same between them, that was certain. Things got easier as the months passed, and both boys even came to wave her off at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. But while Harry gave her a strong embrace, Ron had merely patted her on the shoulder and that was that. So he was still a bit standoffish.

The train-ride to Hogwarts had allowed her to catch up with many familiar faces, which in turn made her feel a bit more at ease about returning to the school without Harry and Ron at her side. They'd survived a war together, so she felt much safer with them around. But as she'd conversed with Neville, Luna and Ginny, she was reassured of the fact that the war was over. Voldemort was gone and nothing could change that, there was no reason for her to be afraid of him. So she'd eagerly looked forward to her first night back at Hogwarts.

But as soon as the doors to the Great Hall opened, it all came flooding back. The rubble, the screaming, the blood, the dead bodies littering the floor. So she ran. Hermione Granger ran away from her problems for the first time in her life. And what made it worse was that no one seemed to notice her absence, not a single one of her friends had come looking for her. They'd seen her leave in a distressed manner, but they were either too afraid to check in on her because they didn't know how to handle what she might say, or they just simply didn't care. Hermione was seriously hoping that it was the former, and not the latter.

"You know, it makes things ten times worse if you don't breathe." A soft voice suddenly stated from the deafening silence. Looking up, still taking in short and sharp breaths, Hermione was rather shocked to see the face of Pansy Parkinson looking up at her from a few steps down, but surprisingly, she wasn't scowling, she was smiling sympathetically.

Before Hermione could have even attempted to form some kind of response, Pansy ascended the stairs and sat down next to Hermione, offering her a piece of chocolate. Her heart clenched in her chest, remembering how Professor Lupin had done something similar when Harry was attacked by a Dementor. She thought of his son, how the poor child would grow up never being able to know what a truly remarkable and selfless man his father was. War didn't just change people, it broke them to their very core.

Hesitantly, Hermione took the piece of chocolate Pansy had offered her and slipped it into her mouth, bottom lip trembling slightly as she tried to get her breathing under control. Her whole body tensed and her brows furrowed in confusion when Pansy grabbed her left hand and squeezed. Sympathetic and concerned was definitely not very Pansy-like.

"I get them too. Just take a breath in when I squeeze your hand, alright?" Pansy smiled before proceeding to squeeze Hermione's hand again. After a few moments, she nodded and proceeded to take a breath in every time Pansy squeezed her hand. Five minutes later, her breathing was back to its normal rate and her trembling was almost non-existent. Throughout the entire process, Pansy had been as silent as the grave but was giving her reassurance with every squeeze, shooting Hermione an encouraging smile each time.

Once she'd calmed down, Pansy let go of Hermione's hand and offered her another piece of chocolate, which the brunette was less hesitant to accept the second time around. An awkward silence fell upon the two former rivals until Hermione finally decided to break it.

"Why did you help me? Last I checked, you hated my guts." Hermione scoffed.

"Because I saw the look in your eyes before you ran off. None of your so-called friends moved an inch to try and help you, even though they saw you leave. They just shrugged their shoulders and went to their seats. I helped because I know what it feels like to have that weight crushing down on your chest with so much force you can't breathe and to hear their screams playing over and over in your mind. It's better to go through it with someone rather than alone. We may not see eye to eye, Granger, but I'm not heartless. And I don't hate you." Pansy explained, leaving Hermione temporarily too stunned for words.

Before the battle, all the Slytherins had been sent to the dungeon by Professor McGonagall. Obviously Malfoy, Zabini and Crabbe had managed to sneak away, given their little battle in the Room of Requirement, but some had eventually left to join the fight against Voldemort. Surprisingly, one of those students had been Pansy herself. Even though it had only been a brief encounter, Hermione had caught sight of Parkinson throwing herself before the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange, saving Luna Lovegood from the Cruciatus Curse and taking the full blow of it herself.

Hermione's opinion of Pansy had changed that day. While she was still cautious of her, she wasn't under the impression the Slytherin was as cruel and selfish as she pretended to be. There was a softer, more compassionate side to her, she just didn't like to show it in fear of looking weak. At least, that was Hermione's hunch. She couldn't say that was definitely the case. All she knew for sure was Pansy Parkinson had helped her of her own free will, and that meant there was a spark of goodness in her, even if it was only a small one.

"Anyway, enough of this emotional bullshit. Shall we head back and have some food? I'm famished." Pansy scoffed, standing up and offering Hermione her hand, who couldn't help but let out an amused scoff herself. There was the Pansy Parkinson she'd grown up with. Taking her hand, Hermione walked back to the Great Hall with Pansy. It was no surprise the odd duo received several confused and concerned looks from several students.

After giving Hermione a third piece of chocolate, Pansy returned to the Slytherin table and Hermione made her way over to her fellow Gryffindors, all of whom were looking at her like she'd just said she wished Voldemort had won the war. The betrayal in their eyes was quite evident, and very frustrating if she was being honest. The war was over, and this was the perfect opportunity to mend bridges and work on house unity. But no, they were all sticking to their biased viewpoints that all Slytherins were evil, unable to change.

"Hermione, what were you doing with Pansy Parkinson? Have you gone insane?! Her Father supported Voldemort, still does, even in death! She can't be trusted!" Ginny hissed, a look of disbelief spreading across her features. Sighing, Hermione picked up her goblet of pumpkin juice and took a quick sip, placing it down after the liquid cooled her throat.

"If you must know, she was helping me get through my panic attack because surprisingly enough, she's more understanding about the impact seeing this room for the first time in months had on me than my own friends do." Hermione stated, with a bit more venom in her voice than she'd intended. But she had every right to be angry. Friends were meant to support one another, were they not? They'd seen her run off, she'd caught a glance of them staring at her as she rounded the corner, but they'd done nothing to try and help.

Pansy, who was basically a stranger to Hermione, had left the comfort of her friends and ventured into the unknown when she decided to help Hermione. A part of Pansy had known what the Golden girl was going through and thought it was best she didn't go through it alone, even if that meant exposing herself to hate from the students of Hogwarts, even her own friends. The look of shock and guilt in Ginny's eyes was all Hermione needed to see in order to know she hadn't thought about it that way.

Yes, everyone was struggling with the war in their own way. Ginny had lost her brother, several friends, but Hermione had lost friends too, she'd lost her parents because she'd felt it would be safer to Obliviate them rather than risk Voldemort finding them and torturing them for information they didn't have. Everyone had lost someone important during the War, but Hermione had been there when Ginny needed a shoulder to cry on about Fred. She'd been there at the funeral to hold Ginny's hand and keep her upright when they left. The minute Hermione needed someone, they weren't there. They took, they didn't give.

"Well I'm sorry that I don't live up to your standards Hermione, but seeing as you've conveniently forgotten, we all were in this room during the battle. It's been hard for all of us. My brother's body was lying right over there but you don't see me breaking down. Maybe you should take an example from the rest of us and grow a fucking pair. No one has time for a drama queen." Ginny spat. The entire Gryffindor table went silent, the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Without saying a word, Hermione stood up and marched out of the Great Hall. She could hear the murmurs growing louder behind her, she could feel the tears forming in her eyes but she refused to let them fall until she was far enough away that no one would see or hear her cry. Returning to Hogwarts was meant to take her mind off things, off the bad memories this War had created, but instead it seemed to make things worse.

Ginny was one of her closest friends, one of the few people she could confide in and be honest too. But seeing that look of hatred and disgust in the redhead's eyes, it hurt Hermione in so many ways. Was she really being a drama queen? Was that how people saw her now? A girl has one panic attack and so, therefore, she must be begging for attention? How could Ginny even think that? How did that make sense in her mind?

After a few moments, Hermione came to a stop outside the library. It was subconscious, she hadn't even realised that was where she'd been headed until she finally stopped running. Even she was annoyed with herself at that point, she was so fucking predictable.

Walking inside, she wasn't surprised to see Madame Pince wasn't there. No doubt the woman was having dinner in the Great Hall, where everyone else seemed to be having a good time tonight. Or so it would seem. Tucked away in an alcove was Draco Malfoy, whose head was resting in the palms of his hands, shoulders shaking up and down slightly. Was he...was Draco Malfoy crying? She was definitely invading a private moment.

Stepping back to give him some space, Hermione accidentally knocked into a bookshelf, causing books to tumble off it and slam against the floor loudly. Malfoy's head shot up instantly and his hand went to his wand in a matter of seconds, looking over at the source of the noise as if it was signalling some kind of incoming attack. His eyes were red, but his cheeks didn't appear to be wet. Maybe he'd been having a panic attack too?

"I-I...I'm sorry. I was just trying to….I needed some...I'm sorry. I'll go. Sorry." Hermione stuttered, keeping her gaze on the floor. Even though this was Draco Malfoy, her childhood bully, he was obviously going through something. She was the one in the wrong here, not him. Interrupting his moment of secrecy had been an accident, but she still felt guilty.

"Why are you crying? I thought nothing bothered Hermione Granger." Malfoy asked, one brow rising slightly. A few years ago, he would have been right. Hermione took it all in her stride and never let anything get to her. But she'd been through some traumatic experiences, one of which involved being tortured by his crazy Aunt on the floor in his home. But she had a feeling that was a memory neither of them wanted to relive any time soon. Things got to her a lot more now than they did before. She felt like cracked glass, ready to shatter the moment someone dropped her, spilling everything onto the floor.

She didn't even realise she had been crying, but as she felt a tear roll down her cheek she realised that she couldn't hold it in any longer, subconsciously her body had given in to the need to let it out because she couldn't keep it buried inside without going insane.

"Because her friends are utter twats." Pansy's voice suddenly scoffed from behind them. Twice. That was twice Pansy Parkinson had come to her aid. War really did change people, and it would seem it had changed Pansy for the better. She still had that sassy arrogance to her tone, but her heart was in the right place. She was trying to help, that was a start.

"Tell me something I don't know. Since when are you so...nice, Parkinson? Last I checked you hated Granger." Malfoy shrugged, leaning back in his seat with a rather nonchalant look on his face. For someone who had just had a presumed panic attack, he looked rather relaxed. But Hermione couldn't have been sure that was definitely what had happened. Maybe Malfoy was a silent, tearless type of crier?

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I don't hate her, I never did. You all just assumed that because I'm a Pureblood and she's Muggle-Born. While I may have been born from old fashioned parents, that doesn't mean I inherited their opinions." Pansy sighed, irritation lacing her voice. Muggle-Born. She used the polite term of Hermione's heritage rather than using that awful name she'd been called so many times in her life.

Shrugging once more, Malfoy turned his attention away from the two women and went back to the book that had been resting on the table beneath him. Hermione couldn't deny she was quite surprised by his choice of reading material. The book wasn't open, so the cover was clear to see from her standing position: A Midsummer's Night Dream by William Shakespeare. She wouldn't have pegged Malfoy for a lover of Muggle literature.

She didn't really have much time to think about it, because Pansy was dragging her out of the library towards the eighth year common room McGonagall had created specifically for them, rather than trying to squeeze them into the already packed House Common rooms, ranting about how Ginny was a bitch so Hermione would be better off without her. As much as Hermione wanted to protest, she didn't have the mental energy to debate with Pansy Parkinson. She was exhausted enough already. So she followed the Raven-haired witch, all the while thinking about what other Muggle literature Malfoy might like.


	2. Chapter 2

**RELUCTANT HEROES**

**Chapter Two**

**Author's Note:** I was honestly quite surprised by how many follows and favourites this story received from the first chapter alone. The reviews were also quite a surprise, but I'm glad to hear the initial response was so positive. Thank you very much everyone, I hope you enjoy this second chapter.

**.**

**o.O.o**

**.**

The entrance to the eighth year common room was hidden behind a large ten-foot canvas, surrounded by an elegant golden frame. The subject of the oil painting laid out upon the canvas was none other than Albus Dumbledore, who was playing absent-mindedly with his beard when Hermione and Pansy approached him. Hermione felt her heartache when the painted version of her former headmaster smiled down at her fondly, and it was then she realised how much she missed him. While she may not have been as close to him as Harry was, Dumbledore had still been there for her in her own moments of need. The book he'd left her in his will, while intended to give her some insight about the Deathly Hallows, was still precious to her beyond measure. She took it everywhere she went.

"Deluminator." Pansy muttered to the portrait, watching with an expression that closely mirrored nervousness. Dumbledore nodded before the portrait swung open, revealing a small passage that lead into a rather cosy, but large common room. There were several alcoves and corners which were filled with bookshelves and tables for studying, while a collection of sofas and armchairs were littered around the room for socialising, the most of which were clustered around a rather grand and detailed looking fireplace.

There was no one else inside, which wasn't all that surprising really, considering all the other students were still probably in the Great Hall, excluding Malfoy who had made himself at home in the library reading Shakespeare of all things. It would seem Pansy wasn't the only one who had changed after the War. Even a Malfoy could change its spots.

"So. What did the She-Weasley say that was bad enough to make you storm out of the Great Hall faster than a Golden Snitch? It was quite shocking to see the Great Hermione Granger lose her cool so quickly." Pansy asked, plopping herself down rather unceremoniously on the sofa opposite the fireplace, patting the spot next to her expectantly. Sighing, Hermione joined her new...could she call Pansy a friend? Was that what had happened between them, had a mutual experience they shared formed a bond?

Sitting down on the sofa beside Pansy, Hermione bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to best word her thoughts. It was like trying to make sense of words behind foggy glass. She couldn't quite interpret her own thoughts, and it was incredibly infuriating.

"She basically said I was being a drama queen for running off and complaining none of my friends came to check on me, that I need to grow a pair like everyone else." Hermione stated, running a hand through her hair slowly as she recalled Ginny's harsh words.

"Fuck her. She thinks just because she lost her brother and Potter dumped her ass she's got it worse than everyone else. If anyone's being the drama queen, it's her. Don't dwell on it, Granger. She's not worth your time. Now, onto more important matters. Daphne and I are going to Hogsmeade this weekend for a girl's day, you're invited and we won't take no for an answer." Pansy instructed casually, dismissing any potential attempts of a protest from Hermione in advance with a wave of her hand.

While Pansy's words may have been cruel, they did hold some truth. Ginny had changed ever since Harry had broken up with her – and then not asked her out again once the war was over. She knew Harry was head over heels for Ginny, but he needed time to process everything that had happened. He needed to sort his life out before he accepted her into it and committed to a relationship with her. But Ginny couldn't seem to accept that, it wasn't good enough for her. She'd wanted Harry back the moment Voldemort was gone.

Now everything seemed to be about Ginny. Not in a vain sense, but she somehow managed to twist everyone's problems to seem less than her own. Hermione was sure she wasn't doing it on purpose, or with the intent to hurt anyone, but it just felt like Ginny only cared about herself now. In the aftermath of a War, that was fair enough, but it had been months. People were moving on, trying to heal, everyone except Ginny that is.

Hermione felt like a rose between two thorns. Harry and Ginny were both so wonderful, and such special people in her life, people who she didn't want to lose. She'd been lucky when things had ended between her and Ron, Harry hadn't taken a side of preference or loyalty, he'd spent equal amounts of time with them both after the break up to show he still cared or and loved them both dearly. But Hermione had the feeling Ginny didn't want understanding and compromise. She wanted people to pick a side, specifically: hers.

"A fair warning, Granger, don't let her take you for a girls day out. It's not fun." The voice of Draco Malfoy suddenly scoffed. Looking over her shoulder, Hermione watched as the blonde-haired wizard waltzed through the common room, taking a seat in the armchair to her right, his muggle book still in hand. It was a site few would probably belief upon first glance.

Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were politely conversing with Hermione Granger. A former Death Eater was engaging in polite chit-chat with a member of the Golden Trio, one of the minds that had assisted in the downfall of Lord Voldemort. Hermione herself was struggling to believe that Pansy was even talking to her, let alone Draco. Both had formidable reputations not only in their respective house but throughout the school.

Malfoy was the Slytherin Prince, a bad boy who was fawned over by girls, and some guys even, throughout numerous year groups. He'd been reckless and rebellious during the first years of his education, making life pretty intolerable for Harry in the process. But then he'd grown into a handsome and refined young man who believed he could walk on water. He held himself with an air of confidence and authority, making him seem more important than he actually was at the time. His opinions of Muggle-Borns was also quite well-known.

But now that seemed to have changed, at least for the moment. He was talking to Hermione like he would his friends, or a friendly acquaintance. In the library, he hadn't demanded she get her filthy blood away from him, or grow up, he'd taken an interest in her emotional state by asking her why she was crying. What his motivations were for wanting that knowledge was a mystery to her. Maybe he was just being a nice person and wanted to help in his own weird, Malfoy way. Now here he was, giving her warnings about not to go out with Pansy. It wasn't the warnings that shocked her, more so that he seemed to be going out of his way to give her advice that would benefit her, and not cause her loss.

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy that mani-pedi, Draco." Pansy smirked.

Then there was Pansy Parkinson, who had been cruelly dubbed as the Slut of Slytherin. Whether she had engaged in as much sexual activity as the rumours stated was unknown to Hermione, but even if she had that was Pansy's choice. A woman shouldn't be made to feel shameful for her preference for a more active sexual lifestyle. Men were rewarded for being sexually active by their fathers and friends, but a woman would be labelled a slut if she did the same thing. It was quite unjust and annoyed Hermione in all honesty.

Pansy was also known for her opinions of Muggle-Born Witches and Wizards, but Pansy had been a lot more frequently vocal about them than Malfoy had. Part of Hermione suspected that, like Malfoy, Pansy had been pressured by her old fashioned parents to make "her opinion" known without giving the poor girl a chance to form her own.

"It was the company that I didn't enjoy, not the activities. I'll have you know many a man will happily get a mani-pedi. We like to be pampered too. Besides, I'm pretty certain your idea of a girls day out isn't Granger's scene." Malfoy retorted, a smug grin spreading across his lips, eyebrows wiggling playfully. It was a side of him that Hermione had never seen before. Sure, she'd seen him from across the Great Hall laughing and joking with his friends, but never known what about. She didn't know he could be so...casual, so relaxed. He didn't care that Pansy seemed to be taunting him about his lack of manliness for having a mani-pedi. He just played along and beat her at her own game.

"Oh pray tell, what do you think my 'scene' would be then, Malfoy?" Hermione scoffed. But she didn't feel the need to add a cold or harsh tone to her voice. In fact, there was a faint smile on her lips. She was talking to Draco Malfoy and she was actually enjoying it.

"Curled up in a blanket in front of the fire with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, not having to listen to Potter or Weasley talk about Quidditch whilst you cuddle that ball of fluff you call a cat." Malfoy shrugged, not lifting his gaze from his book, which he'd now reopened and was reading from intently. Her stunned silence caused him to smirk smugly.

She was honestly quite surprised by how much he'd hit the nail on the head. Hermione, while she enjoyed the odd night out or trip into town every now and then, much preferred staying at home where she was comfortable. Reading a new book in front of the fireplace, there was nothing better in her opinion. It just seemed to have this unexplainable effect on her. She became so much more relaxed and content, all her problems would just disappear from her mind for a moment or two and allow her thoughts to stop racing.

But it made her think: was she that predictable? Had her routine and personality been so easy to pick up on, that Draco Malfoy – who barely knew her – would be able to perfectly guess what she enjoyed doing in her spare time without having to put much thought into it? Or did he actually guess correctly because of some other reason? Maybe his idea of a good time was very much the same thing, so figured a like-minded person would feel the same? They weren't all that different, excluding their blood status and upbringing.

Hermione and Malfoy were both intelligent young adults who had breezed through their exams and homework assignments throughout their education. Neither really had a tolerance for drama and gossip in their late teens, preferring to stay away from anything that didn't involve them. Both had been warped by the fear and chaos of war, coming out the other side with both mental and physical scars alike.

Seeing how fearful his eyes were when his Aunt had tortured Hermione that day in the Manor made her realise he didn't want to be there. Draco Malfoy was a victim just as she was, trapped by the loyalty to his parents, not the Dark Lord. It was revealed in his trial that he'd been forced to take the Mark by Voldemort as punishment for Lucius' failings. After Draco had received the Mark, both Malfoy men were then forced to watch Narcissa be tortured under the Cruciatus Curse until she passed out from exhaustion.

Malfoy was not a bad person, he'd just been through some terrible experiences. He'd grown up with a narrow-minded Father who forced his son to take on his own opinions. He'd been thrown into a war that he had no part in fighting for, given a horrible task no child should ever have to even think about, let alone perform. She could see it in his eyes. He was a changed person, he didn't think the same things his younger self had thought.

"One disagreement with Ginny and you're fraternising with the enemy? Really, Hermione, I thought you were better than this." Padma Patil's voice suddenly scoffed, bringing Hermione's attention to the small group of eighth-year students standing near the entrance to the common room. Pansy and Draco soon looked up, both scowling.

"Do you hear yourself? We have no enemies, the war is over. Pansy fought alongside us during the Battle! She saved Luna from a Cruciatus from Bellatrix! If that doesn't prove her loyalty I don't know what will." Hermione sighed as she stood up from her seat.

"It's not her we're referring to. It's him, the Death Eater scum who should be locked away in Azkaban!" Dean Thomas practically hissed, his venomous gaze turning to lock on Draco Malfoy, who was staring back at him with an equal amount of hatred burning in his eyes.

"I seriously hope you're not referring to the person who didn't identify Harry when we were captured by snatchers to delay summoning the Dark Lord, which gave us a chance to escape." Hermione huffed, hands moving to rest firmly on her hips.

She saw Dean's eyes flicker slightly, a slither of hesitation and dare she say, guilt, flashing past them. But he quickly composed himself and sorted out his posture, head held eye with a new aura of morality and justice surrounding him. It was then Hermione knew, no matter what she said she was not going to get through to him any time soon. Or the others. They'd formed an opinion of Draco Malfoy and they weren't going to change it.

"Even if he did do that, which you have no proof of by the way, he still went over to the Dark Lord when we thought Harry was dead. His loyalty has always been with that snake, and always will." Hannah Abbot snarled, fixing Draco with her own vicious glare.

"Your precious Potter testified at Draco's hearing, Abbot, confirming what Draco did for the Golden Trio. Or did that little fact conveniently escape your thick skull?" Pansy smirked, causing another look of guilt to flash across the eyes of the small group.

It was true, Harry had been present at Malfoy's trial and spoke about the young Wizard in a positive light when no one else seemed to want to. Harry had revealed to the court that when Dumbledore had been murdered, Draco had been lowering his wand which was a clear indication he was planning to not perform the task the Dark Lord had given him. In the Room of Requirements, Draco had once again shown a lot of hesitance to cause anyone harm, and have even left the scene after being rescued by Harry, Ron and Hermione when he'd had the perfect opportunity to catch them off guard. At the Manor, he'd clearly known it was Harry behind the disfigured face but had said nothing.

There had been an article about it in the Daily Prophet, so there was no doubt her peers had seen and read the article out of curiosity. They knew Harry had defended Malfoy. They just wanted to gloss over the fact because they believed they were the ones in the right. That deeply upset Hermione. These people were her friends, kind souls who had been more than understanding when Harry had done something wrong and forgiven him in time. Why couldn't they do the same with Draco Malfoy? It honestly befuddled her.

"Look, Hermione, we know you've got a big heart and are willing to forgive and forget a lot quicker than the rest of us. But he's...a monster! He cursed Katie Bell, he almost killed Ron with poison that was meant for Dumbledore! Some people can't be redeemed. The things he's done, they can't be forgiven." Parvati sighed, irritation and anger lacing her voice.

Looking back at Malfoy, who had returned his attention to his book and was clearly fed up at the conversation by this point, Hermione couldn't find a correlation between him and the word 'monster'. Draco Malfoy was many things, but a monster was not one of them. Not saying another word, she turned and sat back down on the sofa, staring into the fire, trying her best to ignore her peers calling her a lost cause, a sympathiser, traitor, and other cruel names before they left her, renouncing their ties to the Gryffindor Princess.


	3. Chapter 3

**RELUCTANT HEROES**

**Chapter Three**

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ! **Due to the Coronavirus, I've lost my job and recently I've had almost £100 stolen out of my bank account. Times are hard right now, and I'm hoping this won't affect the rate I upload new chapters, but please understand I might not be able to upload every Sunday for the time being. I will certainly do my best to stick to my schedule, but make sure you all keep safe and avoid large crowds!

**.**

**o.O.o**

**.**

For once, Hermione was glad she wouldn't be sharing a room with any of the other girls this year. Normally the students of Hogwarts would share bedrooms, having four or five students in a dorm together. But being an eighth-year student had its benefits. Not only did they have their own individual bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms but there was also no curfew for them either. It was politely requested they didn't leave the common room after ten but there was no actual rule to enforce this, nor a time stated they had to be in bed by. They were adults now, so they could go to bed when they wanted. They would be the ones responsible for sleeping in or missing lessons if they chose to stay up too late.

But with what had happened in the common room the previous night, Hermione wasn't all that keen to share a room with either of the Patil twins or Hannah Abbot. Not after what they'd called her when they'd left the common room. She had a strong feeling that they would have continued to voice their opinions well into the early hours of the morning had they been sharing a room, regardless of whether Hermione cared or not.

So as she opened her eyes, feeling the warm ways of the sun-splashed across her exposed skin, Hermione couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at the silence. After last night, she wasn't ready to deal with any confrontation just yet. Deep down, she was just hoping this would all blow over and things would go back to normal in a few days. People were still sceptical and cautious about Death Eaters, both loyal and former ones. Draco Malfoy had been forced to take the Mark, forced to live with that snake for months. It had never been his choice to go down that road, that decision had been taken out of his hands.

Being exposed to such evil on a daily basis must have taken its toll on him both mentally and physically. She was fairly certain that's why he'd looked so pale, so ill, during their sixth year. Living under the same roof as the Dark Lord definitely wasn't going to make you look ten years younger, the stress and fear would have such negative effects on the body and the mind. Then there was his Aunt, who was for want of a better word: deranged.

Bellatrix Lestrange was a vile and twisted woman who had been obsessed with the Dark Lord, ready to throw herself off a cliff if he ordered her to do so. No matter how much Hermione wanted to believe everyone was capable of changing, Bellatrix was the exception. That woman, even if she'd been given the chance, never would have changed.

Climbing out of bed, Hermione walked into the bathroom and got herself ready for the day. She was relieved to have some kind of routine again. Sitting around at home, not knowing what to do with herself, had been the main cause of any episodes. But now she was back at Hogwarts, with some structure to her day, she had a feeling things would start to improve, at least when it came to her mental health. There was still the problems her argument with Ginny had caused. None of the Gryffindors seemed to want to hear her side of things, always having an excuse as to why Draco Malfoy was still the enemy.

It also made her slightly nervous as to what would happen at breakfast. Would she sit at the Gryffindor table in complete silence, avoiding hateful glares her housemates sent at her? Or would she attempt to sit with the Slytherins and be even more hated among her house? It was enough to get her heart rate up considerably, and her palms to become sweaty. The last thing she needed was to have a panic attack in the shower.

Maybe Harry would know what to do. While he and Ron were training to become Aurors, Harry had said he would always make time for her, no matter how big or small her problems were. Writing him a letter seemed like a better idea than an impromptu visit. That way he could answer when he was ready rather than trying to schedule her into his day. It would also give her a distraction if she was sitting at the Gryffindor table in silence.

With newfound confidence and purpose, Hermione left the bathroom once she was showered and dressed, marching down into the common room with a bounce in her stride.

"It's about time, we were waiting for you." An irritated voice huffed. Glancing to the left, Hermione's brows furrowed when she saw Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass sitting down on the sofa in front of the fireplace, looking over at her with bored expressions.

"Oh...I-I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were." Hermione stuttered, a wave of embarrassment and guilt washing over her. But to be fair, it wasn't really her fault. Neither Pansy nor Daphne had made an effort to inform Hermione the night before they would wait for her that morning. But she still felt bad, regardless of their lack of communication.

"It's fine. A bunch of the Gryffindors were also waiting, probably intending to lecture you even more, so we told them to piss off and get a life. It's sad they've got nothing better to do than make you feel shit for being a nice person." Daphne shrugged.

Daphne Greengrass was a lot nicer than most Slytherins. She'd never made any attempts to verbally harass Hermione and only laughed at her when other people started to first. It seemed more like peer pressure than anything else, a need to fit in with the people around her. The younger Greengrass, Astoria, seemed to be very similar in that respect. So Hermione seriously doubted that the family was as prejudice as some of the other Sacred Twenty-Eight. Old fashioned, yes, but definitely not as cruel with their views.

"Can we please leave now? Everyone else is already in the Great Hall enjoying breakfast. I would literally kill for a pancake right now." Pansy groaned, standing up from the sofa before heading towards the door leaving the common room.

Smiling softly, with a slight shake of her head, Hermione followed Pansy and Daphne out of the common room, engaging in polite small talk as they headed towards the Great Hall. She'd never expected to be in this situation. Of course, she'd hoped for some kind of friendship between the other houses and Slytherin, more acceptance even, but she'd never in a million years imagined she'd be conversing and enjoying herself in the company of Pansy and Daphne. It felt as if someone had thrown her into a mirror where everything was the wrong way around. Ginny hated her, Pansy liked her. What was going on?

Hermione stopped when they reached the Great Hall, her heart freezing in her chest for a mere second before she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. Looking to her right, she saw Pansy smiling at her, reassurance spreading across her features. Pansy understood, she knew how hard this was for Hermione and how much it was chipping away at her. The memories Hermione held inside her head were never going to go away, they would just become easier to deal with over time. But right now, it was hard, it was really hard.

"Ladies! Over here!" An energetic voice exclaimed, drawing Hermione's attention over to the Slytherin table. Theodore Nott was standing on the bench, waving excitedly to catch the trio's attention, fork and knife still in hand with maple syrup running down his chin. Someone had helped themselves to the pancakes it would seem. Pansy wouldn't be happy.

"Ever the attention whore. It's too early in the morning for this level of enthusiasm." Daphne scoffed, linking her own arm with Hermione's as she guided the brunette over to the Slytherin table. So, she was dining with the 'enemy' this morning it would seem.

There was no doubt in Hermione's mind the Gryffindors would not take this well at all. She imagined they were staring at her right now, whispering vile and hurtful things behind her back. But she wasn't going to let it bother her, this would all blow over eventually.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Welcome to our humble abode. I think you'll find we're much better company than the usual...bunch you hang out with." Blaise Zabini grinned, digging into a plate full of anything that contained protein or meat. Sitting down between Daphne and Pansy, Hermione offered him a polite smile but didn't really say anything to him.

While she was grateful for Pansy's unexpected friendship, and Daphne's eager nature to join Pansy on that front, it was rather strange to see other Slytherin students being so kind and accepting towards her. While Pansy and Daphne had never been overly vocal about their hatred towards Muggle-Borns, Blaise and Theo had. They'd often mocked her over her blood status, calling her awful names and making her life miserable.

Seeing them smiling at her, engaging in conversation like she was one of them, it was a bit too much to swallow all at once. She wasn't quite ready to dive into the deep end just yet. For now, she was going to stick to swimming around in the shallows. Pansy was already enough to handle at once, adding anyone else to the mix, besides Daphne who seemed pretty calm, was going to be too much for Hermione to handle.

Grabbing some nearby toast, she placed it onto the plate and began to butter it, rather anxious about all the eyes that were suddenly on her. It wasn't just the Slytherins or the Gryffindors either. Everyone seemed to be looking over at her, stunned by where she was sitting and who she was sitting with. Her leg began to bounce nervously under the table.

"Fuck off you vultures." Draco Malfoy's voice suddenly spat, drawing a tense silence for a few moments and then everyone averted their gaze, going back to their meals and mumbling amongst themselves nervously. Looking over at the blonde-haired wizard, who was sitting opposite Pansy, Hermione smiled gratefully at him. He offered her a mere nod before he went back to reading his newspaper and absently eating his jam covered toast.

Was this how things were now? Was she becoming friends with this bunch of Slytherins? Pansy, whilst unexpected, Hermione could definitely see herself getting along with. They had more in common than they realised, and Hermione's shared experience with Pansy in terms of anxiety and PTSD really helped her connect with the woman. It made her feel better knowing there was someone she could turn to who would understand how she felt.

And as crazy as it sounded, she felt in a similar way about Draco Malfoy. He'd been through a lot, they both had, and while he wasn't as open about his feelings and experiences as Pansy was, she knew full well he was someone who understood her too. Maybe not in the same way Pansy did, and Hermione sure as hell would never be able to imagine what Draco had been through, but he was still someone who would be able to look at her and have some semblance of an idea as to what was going on inside her head.

As much as she wanted to be put off by the idea of hanging out with her school bullies, Hermione couldn't bring herself to feel that way. They'd obviously grown up and been through some traumatic situations of their own. How could she judge them for their previous actions when she bet the majority they'd had no control over in the first place, or very little control if they did. Draco felt pressure from his father to shame those who were muggle-born because he would have been punished if he didn't.

"No Potter or Weasley this year?" Theo asked as he chewed on another pancake, a pancake which he'd stolen from Pansy's plate it would seem as she was practically seething to the point where if she got any angrier, steam would start coming out of her ears. The glare she was sending at the young wizard would have been powerful enough to kill him ten times over if it were physically possible. He was definitely going to be taught some kind of lesson for his actions, it was just when and the severity of that lesson which was up for debate.

"They decided they'd rather take the Ministry up on its offer to train them up as Aurors." Hermione shrugged, proceeding to take a bite of her toast when she noticed the rather shocked look on Theo's face. His jaw was agape, giving her a rather unpleasant view of the mushed up pancake that currently resided in his mouth, putting her off her toast.

Blaise was also looking at her with a rather confused expression, whilst Draco was still looking at his newspaper. Pansy and Daphne, on the other hand, didn't seem as interested in the topic of discussion as their fellow Slytherins. Instead they were quietly discussing their new timetables.

"Potter I can understand. The guy survived the killing curse twice after all. But Weasley? Are you sure we're talking about the same one? Ron Weasley is training to become an Auror? The guy can't be in the same room with a spider without crying." Blaise scoffed. Theo made a sort of snorting sound as he laughed, covering his mouth up to prevent any of the precious food he'd had no trouble showing before from escaping.

On one part, Hermione could understand where they were coming from. Ron had been a bit of a coward during their childhood years at Hogwarts, and he still was a coward when it came to spiders. Whenever they'd found one in the tent when they were on the run, Hermione or Harry had to go in armed with a cup to remove it before Ron would calm down. After spider number forty-two was removed, they'd stopped doing it.

But the war had also brought out a bit more courage in Ron. He'd helped her go against Nagini, saved Harry from drowning in a freezing lake and destroyed a Horcrux. Ron was a lot braver than people gave him credit for, but to be fair the Slytherins didn't really know what they'd been through when they were on the run, so it was only natural for them to assume Ron was the same old scaredy-cat that he'd always been. But that couldn't have been further from the truth. Ron was very brave, and she admired him for that now.

"Weren't you two a thing for a little while during the War?" Daphne asked. Now all eyes were on her, at least the small group of Slytherins surrounding her at least. Even Draco Malfoy had lifted his gaze from his newspaper to see what response Hermione was going to give them, if any.

She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. She wanted to tell them to fuck off and mind their own business, but she was only on her first official day back at Hogwarts and already her pickings at company was very slim. While she wouldn't mind not having to talk to Blaise and Theo for the time being, Pansy was someone Hermione didn't want to stop talking to just yet, especially not after how kind the young woman had been.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione mentally prepared herself for the armada of mocking that was about to come her way. But it wasn't anything she wasn't used to by this point. This particular group of Slytherins had mocked her throughout her childhood, making her feel ashamed of who she was and what she enjoyed doing. This would be nothing new.

"Yes, but we both agreed it was only out of a sense of longing for comfort. When the war ended, we knew it wasn't going to work out so decided to go back to being friends." Hermione shrugged, picking up her drink to wet her parched throat. Talking about her relationship with Ron, regardless of how brief or innocent it had been, still made her nervous and embarrassed, so much so her throat would dry up.

"Understandable. When you think you're going to die every day, it's only natural to cling to what you know is there." Pansy mused, snatching a pancake from Theo's plate as she spoke, ignoring the rather betrayed looks her friend was sending her, despite being the one who had started the whole 'pancake-stealing' situation in the first place.

Well, that was certainly unexpected. Given the circumstances, and her company, Hermione was assuming they were going to ask her more in-depth and personal questions regarding her relationship with Ron, or just laugh at her for going out with Ron in the first place. But the group seemed to share Pansy's opinion as they nodded in agreement, except for Draco who went back to his newspaper without offering any kind of comment on the topic.

When the discussion moved to classes, Hermione let the anxious tension in her shoulders go. She was preparing herself for a surprise follow-up question, but it never came. She'd answered their question honestly and they'd taken it maturely. Now the Slytherins had moved on to something else, which was very different from their behaviour a few years back.

Maybe her fallout with Ginny was for the best? It had introduced her to people who had changed and were a lot more pleasant to be around now. Maybe once things were resolved between her and Ginny she could arrange for everyone to get to know one another better. She was sure once a few more months had passed, people would stop thinking Slytherins were still the enemy. In fact, she could definitely see a lot of people getting along due to their shared traits or interests.

Theo and Seamus were born pranksters, as well as pyromaniacs. The number of schemes those two would plan together would be far too many to count. Daphne and Neville were lovers of Herbology, judging from the book Daphne had gotten out to read during breakfast. It would be so nice for Neville to talk to someone who loved the subject just as much as he did, who would actually be able to talk to him about it on the same level. Blaise and Ginny were well known for their love of Quidditch, she could definitely picture them having hour-long debates about who the best team and players were. It was highly possible the two could even attend games at the school together to hang out and have fun.

The possibilities were endless, and she only wished her fellow Gryffindors would give them a chance. But it would seem they were still siding with Ginny on this one, as they were sending her rather venomous looks ever minute or so. Sighing sadly, Hermione looked away from the table she'd spent years on with them and looked back down at her toast. She still couldn't bring herself to eat it, not after seeing the contents of Theo's full mouth a few minutes earlier. So she pushed it to one side and poured herself a glass of water. But Theo had been reaching for it at the same time and accidentally knocked the jug over, spilling the entire contents over Hermione.

Gasping at the sudden sensation of being soaked, Hermione leapt up from the bench and moved her bag out of the way, trying to save the books that were inside of meeting the same fate as her skirt. Whilst Theo was apologising profusely for his clumsiness, and Pansy was swatting him around the head with the newspaper she snatched from Draco, the blonde-haired Wizard proceeded to pull off his school jumper and offered it to Hermione. She must have been looking at him with a rather confused expression, because he rolled his eyes and chucked it at her, earning a startled yelp from Hermione who just managed to catch the garment of clothing before it would have fallen into the puddle of water on the floor. It was still warm and had a smell to it that made her think of vanilla.

"Granger, you might want to cover yourself up, you're flashing." Draco stated, sitting back down and taking another bite out of his toast. Looking down, Hermione gasped when she saw the standard white blouse she'd been wearing had also been victim to Theo's accidental attack with the jug. Granted, it was mostly the lower half of her body that was now visible through the drenched material, but part of her chest had also been hit and her rather house-themed red bra was visible through the fabric.

Slipping Draco's cardigan on, Hermione wrapped her arms around her chest after picking up her bag and rushed out of the Great Hall, her appetite and confidence both depleted. She could hear the Gryffindor students laughing especially loud as she rushed out of there, Ginny's normally musical voice ringing out the most spiteful and clear among them. Her first lesson that day was potions, so she started making her way to the dungeons.

Slughorn had decided to continue teaching as their Potions Professor, and in a lovely tribute had decided to have a portrait of Professor Snape hung up in the classroom too. While Professor Snape hadn't been particularly pleasant to her for the majority of her time in his classes, he had been one of her favourite teachers and someone she now admired after learning his true reasons for doing what he did during the War.

Snape had been working with Dumbledore the whole time, watching out for Harry and protecting him, whilst also making an unbreakable vow with Draco and killed Dumbledore himself, both because the Professor had asked him to and to spare Draco of that guilt. Snape had been an honourable and brave man right until the very end in Hermione's opinion. But of course, there were still some people who doubted Harry's statements.

It couldn't be helped, some people refused to believe the truth even when it was staring them in the face. No matter how hard she tried, sometimes there was nothing she could do about it. Some people refused to accept it, and would never change their minds no matter what. But she refused to believe that was the case for the majority of her friends. She could make them see sense, it would just take a little time, and she was willing to wait.

"Would you look at that, we've all got Potions together. This is going to be fun! I call dibs on sitting next to Granger!" Theo's voice suddenly exclaimed with playful amusement. Looking behind her, Hermione the five Slytherins she'd become friendly with approaching her. But she could also see Ginny and some of the other Gryffindors not too far behind them. Seventh year and eighth-year students shared classes to save on time, rather than having the professors teach the same stuff more than necessary. That meant she was sharing a class with Ginny and from the way she was half smirking-half glaring at her, Hermione had no doubts this lesson was definitely not going to be the least bit fun at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**RELUCTANT HEROES**

**Chapter Four**

**Author's Note:** I just wanted to express a massive thank you to everyone who wished me well after I announced I was having financial issues due to the Coronavirus. It means more to me than you guys could ever know, and all your support only motivated me more to get this chapter out on time. I hope you like it!

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**o.O.o**

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This was the third time Hermione had read the same paragraph in her potions textbook. She just couldn't focus at all. Every time she heard someone whisper or saw someone look in her direction, she couldn't help but be distracted by it. Surprisingly, Ginny hadn't said a word about Hermione sitting on a table full of Slytherins, but the looks she was getting off the Gryffindors was a clear indicator that they weren't impressed at all. It seemed that Ginny and Parvati were the ones who were orchestrating the glares and whispers, the little ringleaders of this sudden Hermione hate group that had formed overnight.

She wasn't angry at them, sure she was hurt, but she was mostly disappointed. How had they let such a little thing like Hermione talking to Pansy Parkinson come between them? There were far worse things she could have done to provoke and deserve such a reaction, but in her own opinion befriending Pansy wasn't a punishable offense. That was what had started this whole thing off in the first place, and then they used Draco being added into the mix to further 'justify' their disapproval towards Hermione's behaviour, but they were just making themselves look more ignorant and prejudice in the process.

Sooner or later, someone would come around, or at least Hermione hoped they would. Surely someone would see how silly this all was and come to their senses. It just didn't make sense in her mind for friends to turn against one another like this, especially over something as simple as engaging with Slytherins. Sighing softly, Hermione went back to her textbook, trying to keep her mind on the task at hand. She found it rather ironic that this year they were delving into the more psychological based potions aimed at mental health and illnesses. Maybe it wasn't just a coincidence, but the school's way of helping those students who were struggling after the events of the recent war against Voldemort.

"This class is making me want to jump out of a window." Theo suddenly groaned, letting his head fall down onto his book with a soft thump. As soon as Slughorn had opened the classroom door, Theo had grabbed Hermione by the arm and dragged her to the table at the back of the classroom, furthest away from the chalkboard, before settling himself down in the seat beside her. She'd been slightly irritated that she wouldn't be at the front of the class like she usually was, but maybe that was for the best, for the time being.

She didn't want to draw any further attention to herself, and by extension mockery, by keeping to her old predictable behaviours. So, she'd accepted Theo's decision of where they were going to sit and had listened intently as Slughorn explained the syllabus. Pansy had sat down on Hermione's other side, whilst Draco, Daphne and Blaise had sat opposite them. Thankfully, this seating arrangement seemed to block Hermione from the majority of the students' views, but those who were a bit closer would be able to see her just fine.

"We're in the dungeon, there are no windows you idiot." Pansy sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I never said I planned on jumping out of any non-existent windows in this room, did I Pansy? I clearly said 'a' window." Theo stated matter-of-factly with a smug grin on his face, which earned him another roll of the eyes from Pansy before she went back to reading her own textbook. But the boredom was clear to see on her face, as well as the other Slytherins. Even Draco, who was well known for his enjoyment of potions, was looking like he wanted to join Theo on his window-jumping venture.

"Before we all die from a lack of mental stimulation, I propose we play a game. Every time Slughorn says a certain phrase, someone has to knock something off the table." Blaise suggested. There was a rather mischievous twinkle in his eye, which was mirrored in Theo's eyes when he lifted his head from it's resting place on his textbook.

"And it has to be a bigger item every time!" Theo added, matching Blaise's enthusiasm for the little game they were working out amongst themselves. It reminded Hermione of a game she used to play with her parents at Christmas. They would put a Santa hat on the corner of the television, and every time it looked like someone on the screen was wearing the hat, they had to drink a shot of eggnog or eat a sprout, something silly like that.

The memory only decreased her mood further when it made her realise how much she missed her parents. Yes, she'd celebrated a Christmas without them when she was on the run with Harry but it wasn't much of a celebration in all honesty. They'd only narrowly managed to escape Nagini in Godric's Hollow, where Harry had discovered his parent's graves and visited the house they'd lived in before Voldemort had killed them.

All in all, it wasn't much of a Christmas. This year, she wasn't sure what she was going to be doing in all honesty. Originally she'd thought she'd be celebrating with the Weasleys, despite the slight awkwardness between her and Ron. Molly had told her no matter what, she was welcome in her home, and Harry was too. But with the way things were going between Hermione and Ginny, she doubted the youngest Weasley would let her in. Ginny was the type of woman who could hold a grudge for a very long time. So if Harry decided to go, and she wasn't permitted to set foot on the property, that meant Hermione would be spending Christmas alone, which was a rather depressing thought.

She could always stay at Hogwarts, but she didn't know if she would have much company to engage with whilst she was there. Daphne and Astoria would be heading home, they always did. Pansy might stay, given her Father was in Azkaban and her Mother had fled the country. Blaise and Theo, well Hermione didn't really know what they'd do. She didn't know them well enough to make an assumption, but they'd never stayed at Hogwarts before at Christmas, so she could only assume they'd be going home this year too.

Then there was Draco, who she was on the fence about in terms of what he'd be doing. His father was in Azkaban, whilst his mother was home alone. She believed that Draco would likely go home and spend Christmas with her, but she also thought he wouldn't want to go back due to the horrible memories he probably had that were associated with the manor.

"So now the rules are established, we just need to decide on the phrase." Blaise's voice suddenly announced, bringing Hermione out of her thoughts. She'd been sitting there, staring into space for a good five minutes whilst the boys were working on their game.

"I think it should be 'ah'. He says that more than he bloody breathes." Theo scoffed with a slight snicker. As much as she hated to admit it, Theo did have a point. Slughorn was rather prone to using that particular sound in numerous scenarios. Sometimes he would say it when he was excited or pleased with something someone had said, other times it would be used as a sympathetic answer to bad news.

"So it's settled. When Slughorn says 'ah', I'll spin the pencil and whoever it lands on has to knock something off the table. We start off small and work our way up. If you refuse on your turn, then you are subject to a forfeit." Blaise stated. What on earth was the forfeit? Now Hermione felt rather frustrated at herself for not paying attention when they were planning out the details. Not that she wanted to play, but she knew knowing her luck the pencil would land on her at least once.

Knocking off a quill or something like that wasn't going to be a problem. But when things escalated and they had to find something bigger than a book to knock off the table, that's when she knew she would want to duck out. But she wasn't exactly keen on the idea of a forfeit either. She could only hope and pray that the pencil didn't land on her during the later stages of this game, or the class ended before it had the chance at least.

For a few rounds, it seemed like things were going her way. Slughorn only said the word 'ah' twice, and the pencil landed on Daphne the first time, who knocked her inkpot off the table, and then on Blaise who knocked off his quill. For the next thirty minutes, Slughorn didn't say much to anyone. He was just going around the benches and making sure everyone was doing their work before retreating to his desk.

Then out of nowhere, after opening a letter, Slughorn unleashed what must have been a year's worth of ah's as he continued to read through the contents within. Pansy knocked off her workbook when the pencil landed on her, Daphne after being selected again knocked off her textbook and that's when things got a bit difficult. When the pencil landed on Draco he looked around before his eyes settled on Hermione.

She was curious as to what he was thinking, as there was nothing on the table bigger than the textbooks each of them had. Suddenly, her stool came out from underneath her and she found herself falling back onto the floor with a loud thump. After a collection of laughs from the other students faded and Slughorn rushed over to help her up, Hermione noticed how Draco's foot was resting under one of the metal bars on her toppled-over stool. That bastard had tipped her off her seat all for a stupid game!

"If it had escaped your attention, I wasn't an item on the table!" Hermione hissed at him when Slughorn left and sat back down at his desk.

"Your hands were on the table, therefore making you fair game to knock off the table." Draco shrugged, moving his gaze back down to his book. Hermione was livid. This was typical third-year Draco Malfoy talking. She wasn't surprised when Blaise and Theo took Draco's side and agreed with his logic. She wasn't surprised when Pansy chose to agree with Hermione and claim the boys were idiots for putting two and two together to get five. But she was surprised when Daphne said she was going to have to agree with Draco.

With only five minutes left of the lesson, Hermione was hoping there would be not another 'ah' from Slughorn and she would be able to put this awful game behind her. But luck didn't seem to be on her side when yet another 'ah' left the Professor's lips and the pencil landed on her. Of course. She could see the Slytherins at her table watching her eagerly, wondering how on earth she was going to top Draco's 'masterful' move.

The man himself didn't seem to care, he seemed rather confident in the fact he'd won this pointless little game. But when she noticed his left elbow resting on the table as he propped up his chin with his palm, she couldn't help but smirk. Stretching her leg out underneath the table, Hermione felt the metal bar push against the top of her toes as she slid her foot underneath it. Giving it a quick tug, she relished in the sight of Draco Malfoy suddenly fall backwards in a surprised heap. Slughorn came rushing over once again, looking rather confused this time.

"This is all rather peculiar, someone must have bewitched the stools before I came in. No doubt some first-years having a laugh. Don't worry m'boy, I'll look into it before your next lesson. Up you get, that's it." Slughorn mused as he helped Draco to his feet.

Once Slughorn was gone, Draco shot Hermione a look of pure venom and was about to say something, no doubt a string of insults, when she raised her finger and cut him off.

"Your elbow was on the table, therefore making you fair game to knock off the table, and I think you'll find you're bigger than me, so I beat your move." Hermione grinned smugly. At that moment, Slughorn announced the class was over and students started getting up from their seats to gather their belongings and head to their next lesson.

"Sorry mate, but she's got you there. Granger wins the game." Blaise shrugged as he stood up and collected his books, shoving them in his bag rather roughly. The action alone was enough to make her grimace. The pages of his book were no doubt either going to be folded, bent or torn. Clearly the young wizard didn't care about the conditions of his books. Rolling her eyes with a smile, Hermione gathered her own belongings and followed Pansy out of the dungeons, ignoring the looks Ginny was sending her way.

Unlike Pansy, who was heading to her next class, Hermione had a free period and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She'd received no homework or assignments from her first potions class, so had nothing to work on and she didn't particularly want to head back to the common room just in case someone was there who wasn't fond of her at the moment.

So she started making her way to the library. Yes, it was standard behaviour for her, but it was the only place she could think to go where she probably wouldn't run into anyone who was going to bother her. Plus, it would give her a chance to write that letter to Harry without being interrupted or distracted in any way. Or that's what she thought at least.

Only a mere five minutes passed after she'd arrived at the library and tucked herself away on a table at the very back when a familiar face walked into view. Hannah Abbott was perusing the shelves of the library when she caught sight of Hermione out of the corner of her eye, who was desperately hoping that Hannah would just walk away and leave her alone. But that was wishful thinking. Seemingly fuelled by a strong sense of confidence and purpose, Hannah Abbott marched over to the table Hermione was sitting at.

"I honestly can't believe you. You're such a slut." Hannah scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest with a rather irritated and disgusted look on her face.

"Excuse me?" Hermione was dumbfounded by the statement that had left the blonde's lips. What on earth could have possibly given her the impression she was a slut? As far as sex went, Hermione was pretty innocent in that department. A few kisses had been shared between her and Krum during the Triwizard Tournament, and she and Ron had snogged a few times, but besides that she hadn't done anything else with a guy.

She'd been far more focused on her education and studying compared to dating. It had been fun to talk about who her friends had crushes on, and who they thought was the most attractive boy in their year during their weekly girls nights. But she wasn't the type of girl who fawned over boys. She'd much rather keep her head wedged firmly between the pages of the books she read rather than discuss such personal matters.

"You heard me. That whole stunt at breakfast where Nott 'accidentally' splashed you with the jug of water. I bet you staged it all just so you could get some attention by showing off your tits." Hannah huffed, glaring at Hermione like she was the scum of the earth.

"At least she's got tits, same can't really be said for you now, can it Abbott?" Hermione had been so focused on Hannah that she hadn't noticed Draco Malfoy approaching them. The rage spreading through Hannah's face couldn't be missed, but she stormed off in a strop rather than locking horns with the rather intimidating Slytherin. Once Hannah was gone, Hermione looked at Draco and shot him a grateful smile before mouthing 'thank you' and then went back to writing her letter.

She assumed now that Draco had swooped in and saved the day, he would leave and go about whatever business he had come to the library to do. But when he sat down opposite her, she couldn't help but look up at him with a rather curious expression, brow raised. He didn't say a word, he simply pulled out a book from his bag and began reading it. Had she just earned herself a protector of sorts? Was Malfoy sticking around just in case Hannah, or someone else, decided to come and try their luck at insulting her again?

Or was he simply sitting down at the closest table rather than roaming the library in search of one that wasn't occupied? Either way, as much as it surprised her to admit it, she was rather grateful for the company, even if it would be enjoyed in silence. Moving her gaze back down to her letter, she continued writing. Occasionally she would glance back at Malfoy to see what he was doing, but as far as she was aware his gaze remained focused solely on his book. She couldn't see the cover, so couldn't really tell what he was reading.

"That was a pretty Slytherin move you made in potions, Granger." Malfoy suddenly stated, breaking the silence between them and causing her to look up. When she saw the playful smile on his face, indicating he wasn't angry at her for what she'd done, she smiled too.

"You know what they say: if you can't beat them, join them." Hermione shrugged. And with that, she'd finished her letter. Signing with a kiss like she'd always done, she folded the sheets of parchment into an envelope and addressed it to Harry before tucking it away into her bag. She could visit the Owlery before her next class and have it sent right away.

She was hoping Harry would respond sooner rather than later, as she could really use his advice and words of comfort. Hopefully, he would be able to see where she was coming from and that this had all been blown out of proportion. In fact, with how kindly he'd spoken of Draco during his hearing, she was almost certain Harry would be thrilled she had some Slytherins keeping an eye on her whilst things between her and Ginny were tense. But she did feel a little bit guilty for bringing Harry in on her problems.

Ginny was his ex after all, and he was still hurting after the breakup. But she knew she could count on him for his unbiased opinions. He'd grown up a lot since the war ended. Harry wasn't nearly as narrow-sighted as he had been compared to the time where he'd suspected Draco Malfoy of being a Death Eater. Turns out he was right, but Harry had believed that Draco had taken the mark willingly, but he couldn't have been more wrong on that front. Things between the two childhood rivals were certainly a lot more civil now.

Standing up from her seat and collecting her bag, Hermione bid Malfoy farewell before leaving the library and heading to the Owlery to post her letter. It wasn't hard to miss the scowls she was receiving from numerous other students from various year groups. Some of them would whisper harsh comments as they walked past, but she tried to stop it from getting to her. Part of her was frustrated people were acting this way, over something so silly. They were making a mountain out of a molehill, somehow making things seem ten times worse than they actually were. Reaching the Owerly after a few minutes, Hermione sent off her letter and stood there for a moment, enjoying the brief semblance of calm.


	5. Chapter 5

**RELUCTANT HEROES**

**Chapter Five**

**Author's Note:** I just want to say a big thank you, once again, you guys are being incredibly supportive during these tough times and it means the world to me. Each review gives me more motivation to get the next chapter out on time. I am running a little low on inspiration, but I hope to get the next chapter out on the 12th of April. I also want to say thank you to PotterPollock who caught a little typo, I've fixed it now! I hope you enjoy this chapter because this is where it all blows up.

**.**

**o.O.o**

**.**

Four days passed before Hermione received a reply from Harry. That hadn't bothered her in the slightest, from what her research had indicated, training to become an Auror was a very fast-paced and demanding process which would leave both Harry and Ron with very little time for themselves. So she hadn't expected an immediate response from him. But it had surprised, and disappointed her, that during the time she'd been waiting for Harry's response the situation between her and Ginny only got worse.

She'd even attempted to make the first move to repair their friendship rather than waiting for Ginny to do it instead, only to be met with hostility not only from Ginny but the majority of her Gryffindor friends too. The ones who hadn't gotten verbally involved had just kept their heads down and pretended to be oblivious to what was going on around them, not jumping in at any point. Thanks to Hannah Abbott, the majority of the Hufflepuffs had also joined in with the whole 'ignore and glare at Hermione' situation.

The Ravenclaws were sitting on the fence, figuring it was better to sit out of the battle rather than pick a side. Even Luna, who Hermione had found herself growing more fond of, was steering clear of her. While she did offer polite smiles in the corridors or class, it wasn't the same as sitting next to her and engaging in friendly conversation. The only people who spoke to Hermione on a daily basis were the Slytherins, even the ones who had never approached her before. Over the past four days, more of the seventh and eighth-year students had started socialising with her, which only made Ginny's newfound hatred for Hermione grow with each new Slytherin that befriended the Golden Girl.

Originally, Hermione had been confident in her beliefs that Ginny would come around in time. But now she was struggling to have the same level of confidence after witnessing her friend spiral further and further down in the whirlpool of hatred she'd surrounded herself with. It was becoming apparent that Ginny was not looking to make up anytime soon. In fact, this was making Hermione feel like the red-haired witch had been waiting for any excuse to push Hermione out of her life and take her pent-up anger out on her. Turns out, having Hermione talk to Pansy was the only push Ginny had needed to go through with it.

"Hermione, did you hear what I said?" Pansy's irritated voice suddenly sighed, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts and turn to look at the raven-haired woman on her left.

"Sorry Pansy, I was uh, thinking about my potions assignment. What did you say?" Hermione asked, offering a sheepish, apologetic smile to her Slytherin companion.

"Why am I not surprised? Do you ever stop thinking about homework? I bet that's what you use for porn." Blaise scoffed with a playful wink after taking a sip of his water.

"Oh yes, a good potions assignment really gets the motor running. Honestly, Blaise, do you think about anything else besides sex?" Hermione groaned, her voice laced with sarcasm. Over the past few days of meals and classes shared with the Slytherins, she'd learned what their personalities were like and how their group dynamic seemed to work.

Theo was the playful and cocky one. He was constantly telling jokes or playing pranks on people. Yesterday morning, Hermione had sat down only to find when she stood up, her skirt was stained with red paint. Theo's hysterical laughter was a dead giveaway he'd been the one responsible for her looking like she had a baboon's backside.

Blaise was the sexual one, always finding something inappropriate to say or finding an innuendo in something someone else had said. He didn't really need much prompting, if the word wet was mentioned, regardless of the context, Blaise was all over it like a moth to a flame. It had been a little funny to watch at first, but now it was getting rather irritating. No matter what she was talking about, Blaise could turn it into a full-on sex-fest.

"Well, sometimes I think about Draco having sex. I mean, who wouldn't, he's an Adonis. I don't bat for the home team, but if one person could make me change my mind it would be him." Blaise grinned, batting his eyes in Draco's direction who rolled his eyes with an amused smirk spreading across his features.

"Thinking about it is as close as you're going to get Blaise. I'm afraid this Adonis is sticking strictly to women." Draco smirked, grabbing his bag from the floor as he prepared to head off to class. The changes had been subtle, but Hermione had noticed Draco wasn't nearly as reserved or as closed off around her now compared to what he'd been like a few days ago. He was much more relaxed in her company and engaged with his friends on a more playful basis now. He even engaged her in the odd banter session now and then.

"Can I at least give that arse a firm grab? I need some new material for this evening." Blaise pleaded, pouting his bottom lip and looked up at Draco with wide, tear-filled eyes. Of course, Blaise could cry on queue, being the drama King that he was.

"You're a very sick man Blaise." Draco laughed then stood up and walked out of the Great Hall with Daphne and Theo following closely behind him. Hermione couldn't suppress her laugh when Blaise stood up and wolf-whistled at Draco as he was leaving, earning several confused looks from the other students in different Houses.

That was when Astoria Greengrass walked over, tapping Hermione's shoulder softly. Looking behind her, she was rather surprised to see Daphne's younger sister smiling at her. From what she'd heard, the youngest Greengrass could be quite the, well...bitch. But she seemed like such a nice girl. There was nothing about her persona that gave off the impression that she was a horrible person. This was only further instilled in Hermione when Astoria handed her a letter, stating that the owl had dropped it off with her by mistake but was addressed to Hermione. Thanking her, Hermione watched as the brunette skipped off to go and join her sister before turning her attention to the letter she'd been handed. Recognising the handwriting as Harry's almost immediately, she opened it.

_Dear Hermione, _

_I'm sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to you. When Ron and I agreed to train as Aurors, I don't think either of us expected there to be so many written assessments and tests right off the bat. It makes me realise how much I took you for granted during our O.W.L exams. Remind me to never again to ask you for help studying so lightly, you make it look so easy._

_I'm sorry to hear that Ginny hasn't exactly been understanding of how going back to Hogwarts has affected you. In all honesty, part of the reason I signed up to be an Auror was to avoid going back. I don't think I'm ready to return to Hogwarts right now, and I doubt I will be for quite some time. You're a lot braver than I am Hermione, don't forget that. I know everyone has suffered because of this war, but don't let her belittle what you went through. It was enough to break someone ten times over, and you're still standing strong. It's perfectly natural, and acceptable, for you to have a bad day or need someone to support you. I'm just sorry I can't be there to be the shoulder you can lean on. Just know you can write to me whenever you need to. I probably won't be able to respond right away, but I'll do my best. _

_It's certainly unexpected to hear Pansy was the one to help you, but I'm relieved someone was there. The thought of you going through this alone, well, I don't even want to think about it. So please extend her my thanks for helping you when Ron and I couldn't. If there's a silver lining to this whole situation, it's that you have a chance to make new friends and prove not all Slytherins are 'evil'. I made the mistake of judging Malfoy based on his House and family. Maybe if I'd have put my own biased opinions to one side, I could have helped him during our sixth year. If I had, things might have turned out differently. But there's no use dwelling on it now I suppose. What's done is done. It's just frustrating to hear people are still treating him like crap, despite what we said during his trial. It was all over the Daily Prophet after all. _

_Make sure you keep an eye on him, alright? I know it's a strange thing for me to ask, given the rather childish rivalry I had with him for years, but I think this War broke Malfoy in more ways than one. I wouldn't put it past him to pretend everything is fine when he's far from it._

_Oh! And before I forget, you mentioned you might be heading to Hogsmeade against your will with Daphne and Pansy. I'm actually planning a trip there this weekend too. Fancy meeting up at the Three Broomsticks? It would be great to see you and give us a chance to talk about this Ginny situation properly. Plus, I've been really craving a Butterbeer, so two birds. _

_Lots of Love,_

_Harry _

_x_

"Potter's thanking me for watching over you? Wonders never cease." Pansy grinned.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to read my mail?" Hermione sighed.

"How many times are you going to ask before you realise I won't listen?" Pansy countered, her smirk growing wider by the second. Shaking her head with a smile, Hermione tucked her letter into her bag, planning to respond to Harry during her free period and let him know she would be more than happy to meet up in Hogsmeade. Even though it had only been a few days since she'd last seen him, it felt like a lifetime.

Harry had always been like a brother to her, she'd grown to have him be a constant factor in her life and to have him missing from it on a daily basis was a very strange sensation. Still, she knew they were both following the paths they'd chosen in life and it wouldn't affect the bond they shared if anything it would probably make it even stronger.

Standing up and bidding the remainder of the Slytherins at the table farewell, Hermione and Pansy headed off to their first class of the day. It was getting easier to ignore the glares Ginny sent her way, thanks to Pansy who would stand on Hermione's left and block her view of Ginny to prevent them from making eye contact. It was a small gesture, but one Hermione greatly appreciated and made her even happier to have Pansy as a new friend. It made her wonder what their school years would have been like if they'd seen one another as allies rather than enemies. But as Harry had so eloquently pointed out in his letter, there was no point dwelling on things they couldn't change.

It also made her think of something he'd pointed out concerning Draco, how the young Malfoy would probably be putting up a front to hide his pain and the scars the war had left him with. She couldn't help but think back to her first night at Hogwarts, where she'd stumbled on him either silently crying or having some kind of panic or anxiety attack in the library. Something was bothering Draco Malfoy, and she was determined to be there and support him when he needed someone to turn to. Not just because Harry had asked her to, but because Draco had started helping her in the same ways Pansy had.

On Wednesday evening they'd been heading to the Great Hall for dinner when Hermione suddenly had a flashback as they were crossing the courtyard, visions of Lavender Brown's body being thrown off a balcony and being attacked by the Werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. The guilt of not being able to save Lavender in time had crashed over her in unrelenting waves. Before she knew it she was having another panic attack, struggling to breathe as the tears poured down her cheeks.

Draco had wasted no time in guiding her to a nearby bench and knelt down in front of her, going through the same breathing exercise Pansy had done with her on their first night at Hogwarts, gently squeezing her hands with each shaky breath she took in. It made her wonder if he'd been the one who supported Pansy during her episodes. After a few minutes, her breathing was back to its normal rate. He'd proceeded to help her to her feet and escorted her to the Great Hall where he'd continued to keep an eye on her for the entire meal. And that wasn't the only instance where he'd helped her. There had been several in these past four days, far too many for her to list off the top of her head.

So she wanted to make sure Draco had someone there for him as well. Regardless of what he was going through, no matter how big or small the issue, she was going to help him as much as she could. Though she had a feeling it would be a while before the blonde-haired wizard opened up to anyone, let alone to someone he'd formally considered an 'enemy'.

Unfortunately for Hermione, she'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts and plans she hadn't heard the sound of angry footsteps marching towards her until it was too late. Something, or rather someone, suddenly pushed against Hermione's shoulder blades, causing her to trip over her own feet and fall to her hands and knees in the doorway of the Great Hall. Several collective gasps and murmurs echoed throughout the Hall, while the remainder of the students went dead quiet as they watched the situation unfold.

Looking over her shoulder, Hermione's eyes widened when she saw Ginny standing there, obviously the one who had pushed her. Yes, things were a bit sour between the two former friends at the moment, but Hermione would never have imagined things getting physically violent between them over something so simple as Hermione befriending Pansy. How had things gotten to this point? Was she the only person who thought this was a bit much?

"What the fuck is your problem, Weaslette? I think you're a bit too old to be picking fights on the playground. Grow the fuck up." Pansy snarled, kneeling down to help Hermione up. Timidly accepting Pansy's hand, Hermione picked up her bag and let her pull her to her feet, trying to avoid looking at all the eyes that were now focused on her.

"You don't have the right to speak to me, Death Eater. Stay out of this if you know what's good for you." Ginny practically hissed, glaring at Pansy with a look that could have killed the Slytherin if it were physically possible.

"Oh you did not just call me that. It may have escaped your attention, given you've only got one brain cell to work with at any given time, but I was never a fucking death eater, you stupid cow. Are you seriously that thick to think everyone in Slytherin is stamped with the Dark Mark as soon as they pop out of their Mother's pussy? I know you've got nothing going for you now Potter dumped your sorry ass, but you need to find a new hobby. Talking shit about Slytherins is old news, and belittling your friends for talking to them just makes you look like an even bigger bitch than you already are." Pansy scoffed.

Hermione was prepared for some kind of verbal onslaught from Ginny as a reaction. What she was not expecting was for the redhead to lunge at Pansy and tackle her to the ground, the two becoming a mess of tangled limbs, pulling at one another's hair, screaming and scratching like a pair of wild animals. Hermione desperately tried to get them to stop, but soon a small crowd gathered around them, chanting and egging them on, while Blaise managed to turn it sexual once again, demanding they rip one another's tops off.

How had this gotten so out of control?! How had this spiralled from Hermione being friendly with Pansy to watching two people she considered her friends fighting on the floor with the intent to harm one another? At least they weren't using spells or engaging in a duel. In their current mind frames, Hermione wouldn't put it past either woman to try and use something unsavoury on the other.

"Parkinson! Weasley! That's enough!" The voice of Professor McGonagall boomed, earning immediate silence from everyone who was watching the fight. Rather reluctantly, both witches released their grips on one another and stood up, eyes cast to the ground as Professor McGonagall demanded an explanation for why they were fighting in the halls.

"She pushed Hermione for no reason, then called me a Death Eater. I was only educating Weasley and telling her what I thought about her when she proceeded to push me to the ground and claw at me like some kind of feral rodent." Pansy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with a rather confident and proud look on her face.

"I never pushed Hermione! I was coming over to try and resolve some differences we'd been having recently when Pansy spewed out a string of insults at me out of nowhere!" Ginny protested, blatantly lying to her Headmistress and Head of House. Hermione couldn't believe Ginny would stoop so low as to lie like that. It was totally out of character for her. Had breaking up with Harry really changed her that much? Even after losing her brother and friends, she'd still been a nice and compassionate person. But when Harry declined her offer of getting back together, something had changed in Ginny.

"I never said I didn't insult her. I was merely defending my friend. Ginny has spent this entire week making Hermione's life a living hell, I wasn't going to stand by and watch it happen, especially not after things got physical. I only used verbal insults, Ginny was the one who turned took things to a more physical level." Pansy shrugged.

"Regardless of the reasons behind your actions, violence is not tolerated in this school. You will both be receiving a week's detention for your actions, and I will be writing to your families as well. Now, I suggest you all make your way to class before I change my mind and make it two weeks." McGonagall instructed, then dispersed the crowd before disappearing around a corner. Ginny and Pansy exchanged a hateful glance, but neither of the two acted any further upon their obvious desires to inflict more pain on the other.

Ginny marched of with Hannah Abbott and the Patil twins, whilst Hermione walked down the corridor with Pansy, avoiding the conflicted gazes of her peers and fellow students. She was about to scold Pansy for acting so rashly when a finger suddenly tapped on her shoulder. Turning around, Hermione was rather surprised to be met with the shy face of Fay Dunbar, a fellow eighth-year Gryffindor. They'd never really spoken before, despite being in the same house, but knew Fay and Ginny regularly conversed about Quidditch.

"I'm going to tell McGonagall the truth about what happened between Pansy and Ginny. I-I just wanted to say I'm sorry for not standing up for you Hermione." Fay muttered softly, then rushed off down the corridor after McGonagall, leaving Hermione temporarily stunned. Was someone, besides the Slytherin students she'd come to grow fond of, really starting to see her side on all of this? Could this be the moment where things finally began to calm down?


	6. Chapter 6

**RELUCTANT HEROES**

**Chapter Six**

**Author's Note: PLEAD READ! **I'm sorry this chapter is a week late. I came down with a sudden fever and have spent the majority of my time in bed or sleeping. I'm feeling a bit better now, just a bit sore and achy from being in bed for a while. So I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't flow well, I'm still a bit out of it and I'll try to make sure next Sunday's chapter is posted on time. Thanks for your understanding and patience. I hope you like the chapter!

**.**

**o.O.o**

**.**

"Hermione! Slow the fuck down!" The voice of Pansy Parkinson yelled from somewhere behind her, but Hermione didn't listen. She could barely hear the sound of her own thoughts over her frantically beating heart as it slammed against her ribcage without mercy. Continuing to run at full speed, she manoeuvred through the crowds that were clustering the courtyard, hair fanning out behind as she powered on, determined not to stop until she got there. Why did this have to happen, today of all days?!

The only thing that had gotten her through yesterday's classes and Ginny's relentless verbal assaults was knowing that she would be meeting up with Harry the following day. It had all been arranged and planned out. They would rendezvous at Hagrid's cabin so Harry could catch up with his old friend, then they would head to Hogsmeade and spend the next few hours together before departing so Hermione could meet Daphne and Pansy. While originally she hadn't intended on actually going on this girl's day with them, the more time Hermione had spent around her new friends, the more she'd actually started looking forward to spending more time with them away from Ginny's prying eyes.

But fate seemed to enjoy throwing a spanner in the works, it would seem. A third-year Gryffindor student had spotted Harry going into Hagrid's hut and had rushed to tell Ginny, who was now apparently down there and having a full-blown argument with Harry. Normally, Hermione would have left it alone and let them both get on with it. The two had engaged in multiple arguments after their breakup, most of them initiated by Ginny in fact. But this time it was different. Ginny was at a tipping point and Hermione had to be there just in case if things turned violent with Ginny as they did with Pansy yesterday.

Slowing down to catch her breath, she'd come to a stop just at the top of the hill that descended down the hill to Hagrid's hut. It was the exact same spot where she'd punched Draco Malfoy in her third year. Funnily enough, she didn't look back on the memory as fondly as she'd done in the years prior to the war. Punching Draco Malfoy had been one of the highlights of her educational years when she'd been oblivious to what the young man was going through outside of Hogwarts, but now, she felt rather guilty about doing it.

"Oh Merlin, she's throwing pots at him now! Duck Harry!" Looking to her left, Hermione saw some of the younger students had gathered at the top of the hill to watch the ordeal play out. The majority of them were Slytherins and Gryffindors, with the odd Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw here or there, but there must have been at least twenty of them.

"He can't have been that good in bed, surely? No woman ever goes this nuts over a man." A Slytherin student scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he rolled his eyes.

"You're just jealous because no woman goes this nuts over you, Lance." A Gryffindor student who looked to be the same age smirked, earning a rather immature sticking out of the tongue from his Slytherin companion. But it all seemed to be in good jest, in fact, they seemed to be on a rather friendly basis. At least there was some house unity going on in Hogwarts, even if it was a rare occurrence, it was still nice to see.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Hermione started racing down the hill as fast as she could, intent on stopping this whole thing between Harry and Ginny escalating any further. Harry was her best friend, and despite what she and Ginny had been through she didn't want to see her get hurt either. She was still hoping they could somehow mend the bridges between them and move past everything that had happened like adults. But the one thing she hadn't really considered was how Ginny would react to seeing her.

In the back of her mind, Hermione figured that at the moment Ginny would be too focused on how angry she was with Harry to focus on her. But it seemed quite the opposite was happening. The redhead completely switched targets, now intent on throwing the poor plant pots in Hermione's direction compared to that of Harry. If it wasn't for a pair of arms wrapping around Hermione from behind and yanking her out of the way, there was no doubt in her mind that one pot would have definitely hit her in the face.

That was the difference between Ginny's anger towards Harry and Hermione. On her way down the hill, Hermione had noticed Ginny was only throwing the pots at Harry's chest or legs. If there was enough force behind it, then yes, some damage still could have been caused. But there had been no hesitation on the redhead's part to throw a pot straight at Hermione's face. She was aiming with purpose, with the intent to hurt her.

"You alright Granger?" A voice asked from behind. Glancing over her shoulder, Hermione was quite surprised to see it hadn't been Pansy Parkinson that pulled her out of harm's way, but rather Draco Malfoy. Where on earth had he come from? Had he been up on the hill with the younger students watching all this play out and she'd just not seen him? Or had he simply been in the area and happened to stroll past at the right time?

"Yes, thank you, Malfoy." Hermione mumbled as he let her go. At that moment, she saw Pansy rushing down the hill with a rather surprised look on her face. Clearly she hadn't expected Draco to be there either. So what had he been doing before all this kicked off?

"Oh that's nice, looks like your scummy, death eater friends have come to protect you huh?" Ginny scoffed, going to pick up another plant pot only to be stopped when Harry grabbed her wrist.

"Gin. I know you're angry and I know you're hurting, but the war is over. Voldemort is gone. The Death Eaters are in Azkaban. We don't have any enemies any more. You don't have any enemies. Everyone here played a vital part in defeating the Dark Lord, no matter how big or small their actions were it made a difference in the end. All those choices came together to create the outcome it did. If Malfoy had identified me at the Manor, the Dark Lord would have been summoned and I'd be dead. He chose not to. He spared me." Harry stated, grabbing Ginny by the shoulders to force her to look at him rather than Hermione.

"Draco Malfoy is the reason why Dumbledore is dead! He's the reason why Death Eaters got into Hogwarts in the first place. He should be rotting in Azkaban with his father!" Ginny countered, pure rage filling her eyes. In that moment Hermione knew, she was faced with a truth that couldn't be denied. Ginny Weasley had changed.

Her mind had warped after everything that had happened during the War, after all the friends and family she'd lost. But instead of focusing on healing, she'd focused on hate. In her mind there was only black or white, there was no grey in the middle ground. Someone was either good or evil, and in her mind all Slytherins were evil. She was so stuck in her ways, so blind to the truth, that common sense wasn't getting through to her.

"Are we forgetting who opened the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago? Your Father worked in the Misuse of Magical Artefacts Office, you would have thought his daughter would know better than to pour her heart out to a magical diary belonging to Tom Riddle. You chose to confide in an object that was clearly dangerous, and released a fifty-foot Basilisk into a school full of children, all in your first year I might add." Pansy scoffed.

It was like everything happened in slow motion after that. Ginny pulled herself violently away from Harry, causing him to stumble forwards into the pumpkin patch Hagrid had been working on for October's Halloween party. The next thing Hermione knew, Ginny had pulled out her wand and was aiming it straight at Pansy who was in the process of reaching for her own wand. This was going to be worse than their brawl outside the Great Hall if she didn't do something! Grabbing her own wand, Hermione prepared herself.

"_Reducto!_"

"_Protego!_"

"__Expelliarmus__!"

Three voices melded together, three spells were sent flying across Hagrid's garden. As far as she could tell, Ginny was the one who cast the Reducto, it had seemed to be the young woman's go-to spell when they infiltrated the Department of Mysteries. Plus, Hermione had witnessed Ginny use it several times after that as well, especially during the final battle at Hogwarts where Voldemort was defeated once and for all.

Hermione cast the Protego in front of Pansy, hoping to shield her from whatever spell Ginny was going to have sent at the raven-haired woman, while Harry had cast the Expelliarmus. Ginny's wand was sent flying through the air before it landed in Harry's hand, disarming his former girlfriend and preventing her from causing further harm.

The betrayal in Ginny's eyes was hard to miss, she was glaring at the four people around her like they were Voldemort himself. Without another word, the young woman stormed off, shoving past Hermione and Pansy as she marched up the hill and back towards the Castle. The tension that had been building in Hermione's shoulders faded as soon as Ginny was out of sight. At least she hadn't made an attempt to snatch her wand back.

But something told her this was only the beginning, that Ginny would find a way to strike back against those who had 'wronged' her. Hermione knew how vindictive and spiteful Ginny could be. So while the tension was gone, the worry was only getting stronger.

"Well, that could have gone worse." Harry scoffed, tucking Ginny's wand into his pocket as he approached Hermione, pulling her into a tight hug before letting her go. It was nice to be reunited with her best friend, even if it had only been less than a week since she'd last seen him. Being at Hogwarts without Harry or Ron to support her was definitely harder than she'd thought it would be. But, they all were going down different paths now, they couldn't spend the rest of their lives glued to one another.

This was a healthy way for them to get space from one another and learn how to live their lives independently, to overcome obstacles without help from the other two. And it wasn't like they were never going to see one another again, it was just a temporary separation and it was for the best in the long run. Still, Hermione couldn't help but miss them.

"I'm really sorry about all this Harry, I don't know what's gotten into her. I know things have been hard on her, but she's been acting strangely ever since we got back. The smallest things seem to get the biggest reaction out of her." Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, none of this is your fault. I was the idiot suggesting we met up at Hagrid's, where there was ample chance for someone to see me and tell her. He's not even here. We should have just met up in Hogsmeade like you originally suggested. But, it can't be helped now. I'll hand in Ginny's wand and then we can get going." Harry smiled.

"Why don't you give me the wand, Potter? I'll deliver it to McGonagall, and you two can go to Hogsmeade now rather than risking bumping into Weasley again." Draco suggested.

There was a slight pause on Harry's end before he pulled out the wand from his pocket and handed it over to Draco. Hermione couldn't have been more proud of Harry. He'd defended Draco on numerous occasions, both in his trial and in interviews, but trusting him was a completely different thing. There was no spiteful look in Harry's eyes, in fact, he looked more surprised than anything to see that Draco was talking to him and offering to help.

"Thanks, Malfoy." Harry smiled. Draco nodded in response before heading up the hill towards the Castle, ignoring the students that had been watching the whole situation play out as the surrounded him like vultures, probably asking what had been said.

"Remember, Daphne and I will meet you outside the Three Broomsticks in two hours. You need a girl's day, especially after this whole fiasco. Have fun!" Pansy grinned before she followed after Draco, leaving Hermione and Harry alone.

After double-checking to make sure Hagrid definitely wasn't home, the two set off for Hogsmeade, arriving at the Three Broomsticks rather promptly and settled themselves in a far corner to avoid drawing any unwanted attention as they nursed down a Butterbeer. For the most part, they talked about how Harry and Ron were doing on their training. The way Harry spoke about it made Hermione realise he'd found his calling. His eyes just lit up when he spoke about all the field tests and fake scenarios he and Ron had been through.

So while she certainly missed having him around at Hogwarts, she was proud of him and happy that he had finally found something he enjoyed doing and was doing well at from the sounds of it. He and Ron were only a week into their training, but Harry told Hermione he'd received a lot of praise from his instructors, all of which said he showed great promise and that one day he might be leading his own unit if he kept up the hard work.

"The fear training was hilarious. You should have seen Ron's face when the pulled out that tub of spiders and told him to put his whole hand in! He went paler than nearly-headless Nick. He managed to get one finger in, but the second he touched a spider he was running off screaming like a girl." Harry chuckled, earning a hearty laugh from Hermione. This was the most relaxed she'd felt all week. It was nice to be able to just laugh for once.

"I take it Ron couldn't make it today then?" Hermione asked. The invitation had been extended to him, of course, to join them on their trip to Hogsmeade. Hermione didn't think it would have been awkward. They'd broken up a while ago and talking to him wasn't exactly difficult. They'd spoken often before Hermione had returned to Hogwarts, and it had been just like old times, save for the occasional awkward silence but to be fair there had been plenty of those even before they dated.

"He wanted to, but he's fallen behind on his written exams and is cramming this weekend in order to get it all done. You know what Ron's like, last-minute wonder." Harry scoffed.

"Maybe next weekend then, if neither of you is busy. It would be nice to see him." Hermione smiled. At the end of the day, Ron was still her friend. Seeing him again, having their little trio reunited, would make her day.

"I'll ask him when I get back. Now, onto more important matters. Are you seeing anyone new? Because as your best friend it's my job to interrogate any potential boyfriends within an inch of their life. I mean, Malfoy was grabbing you from behind...do I need to have words?" Harry asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh shove off, Harry. He was pulling me out of the way of a pot **your** ex threw at me. Besides, I don't have time for relationships right now. I need to focus on my classes and exams. You don't get into the Ministry of Magic with anything less than Outstanding." Hermione stated matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes with a playful smile.

"I'm just saying, his hands did seem to linger for a bit. But in all seriousness Hermione, all you ever do is focus on your education. Now, that's not a bad thing, but I know if Parkinson hadn't of forced you to tag along on her girl's day, and if I'd have been busy, you'd be in that library right now studying. You need to get out more, have some fun. I'm worried you're going to become one of those women who complain about the music kids are listening to by the time your thirty." Harry smirked, holding Hermione's hands in his own.

"I'll have you know I have plenty of fun. I found a thrilling book about the History of Wandless Magic in the library yesterday. I could hardly put it down." Hermione protested.

"Oh no, we've lost her. Call it doc, time of death 10:45 am. She was just too boring to save." Harry sobbed dramatically, flashing her with a playful wink.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione pulled her hands away from Harry and flicked him on the nose before picking up her Butterbeer, finishing it off in a few gulps. This was one of the many reasons why she missed him. Yes, he was being a gigantic ass but it was moments like this, where they just laughed and took the piss out of one another that reminded her of days where things had been simpler, easier, filled with less danger. Where they were oblivious to the cruel realities of the world around them. She'd give anything to go back to those days, even if it was just for a day. She missed the way things used to be.

Before she knew it, she was bidding Harry farewell. It felt like time had flown so quickly, but he'd promised her he would make sure his weekend was free so he could come back and see her again next week. Hopefully, Ron would be able to come this time too, but knowing him he'd probably but off his assignments for the following week until last minute. That was just the type of man Ron was, as Harry had put it, a last-minute wonder.

Now, she just had to wait for Pansy and Daphne to show up so she get this girl's day over with. Part of her had been tempted to sneak back to the Castle to avoid going through it, but she knew the lecture she'd receive from Pansy for ducking out would be far worse than anything the pair would make her do on this little outing. It didn't take long before she spotted the two approaching, each already carrying at least one bag in each hand.

"Hermione! You didn't go back to Hogwarts, I'm proud of you. Now, we've already hit up a few shops while we were waiting for Potter to leave. Daphne and I thought we could stop off at Gladrags Wizardwear, then since you're a nut for stationary we thought we could visit Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop before finishing off at Madam Puddifoot's for some tea." Pansy explained. Hermione was actually quite shocked they'd thought of her when picking one of the next shops? Smiling, she nodded in agreement and followed the two witches towards Gladrags, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all?


End file.
